Reflect some of the ways that you want to assess your students, i.e. monitor whether they are understanding what you're teaching.
Describe your (or your CT's) grading policy, i.e. how you will assign scores to represent performance. Explain why you are using this method. If you are continuing your CT's grading policy, explain what you feel are some of its strengths and weaknesses.
My Own Style of Assessment
Variety is my flavor for assessment! I believe in giving students many opportunities to succeed using variety of methods including both formative and summative assessments. I believe all students have different learning styles and needs which ultimately may require an array of assessment styles. For example, where one student make score poorly on an exam although he/she may know the material because of test anxiety, they deserve another opportunity to succeed.
Formative assessments will include asking students questions during lectures and labs that requires students to analyze, make inferences and evalute material in which we are covering. I plan to also ask students to apply concepts they learn about in the classroom to situations or real world context. In addition, I will allow the opportunity for peer-tutoring where I will ask students to become experts in topic or chapter section and be responsible for teaching the classmates or peers by creating a skit or mini-presentation to teach the concept. Furthermore, I will use the first few minutes of class to ask them review questions based on the previous class' lesson or having a group discussion post lesson.
For formative assessments, I will loosly follow my ct's grading scheme which appears to work. One of my reasons for this is that I do not want to creat adversity during the middle of the year and have students in a panic because a new teacher comes in and completely changes everything they have been accustomed too. I have an entire career to do it my way but for now, I will keep the peace and utilze his grading policy (see below). The assessments incude a combination of journal entries, quizes, quarter projects, tests, papers and labs/activities.
CT's Grading Policy
My CT grading policy is as followed:
20% Homework and Classwork (Includes activities, labs, work sheets)
20% Quizes
50% Tests and Projects
10% Journal Entries
As far as homework, if he assigns a homework (Ex. Finish lab, read and outline chapter, read article/reponse) he will not collect the homework but rather go around to each table and mark it off out of 0-5 where 5 is the highest if the homework is complete and 3 if there are some things missing and 0 if it was not turned in. If someone does not have it at the beginning of class, then they get a zero. If the student was absent, they have the opportunity to pass it in the next class.
For Classwork, he typically does not collect these either but wil use the same method. This is one thing that I will do differently as I believe in collecting them to read over, offering feedback and using the student performance as indicators as to whether they understand or not. For the 2 in class activities, I have collected them already.
For Quizes, he typically will give a quiz when the unit is rather long and must have an assessment mid-way through or if there is an important concept that the students absolutey need to grasp before the exam or if he assigns a reading and needs to make sure they actually read it. Often times, he will count in class projects as "quiz grades".
The Tests are always at the end of a unit and typically consists of multiple choice and short answer. The will typicaly have students do one in class project per unit and at least 1 quarter project that will be a take-home assignment due at least 4 weeks after assignment.
The journal entries are graded for one time for every five entries. He will randomly pick one journal entry out of the five to grade and assess a score 1-5 where 5 is the best. I will read all journal assignments and give an overall grade as an alternative way of grading.
Looking at his grading policy, clearly this is an effort-based assessment policy as 1/2 of a students grade is based on participation and turning in assignments. This gives students the opportunity to succeed even if they do not do so hot on exams. However, If i was to change the weight of each assignments, I would probably make quizes weight more than homework assignments and have the class activities in a seperate catagories. It may look something like this:
Journal Entry: Assessment and Grading
Name: Ashley E. BordenMy Own Style of Assessment
Variety is my flavor for assessment! I believe in giving students many opportunities to succeed using variety of methods including both formative and summative assessments. I believe all students have different learning styles and needs which ultimately may require an array of assessment styles. For example, where one student make score poorly on an exam although he/she may know the material because of test anxiety, they deserve another opportunity to succeed.
Formative assessments will include asking students questions during lectures and labs that requires students to analyze, make inferences and evalute material in which we are covering. I plan to also ask students to apply concepts they learn about in the classroom to situations or real world context. In addition, I will allow the opportunity for peer-tutoring where I will ask students to become experts in topic or chapter section and be responsible for teaching the classmates or peers by creating a skit or mini-presentation to teach the concept. Furthermore, I will use the first few minutes of class to ask them review questions based on the previous class' lesson or having a group discussion post lesson.
For formative assessments, I will loosly follow my ct's grading scheme which appears to work. One of my reasons for this is that I do not want to creat adversity during the middle of the year and have students in a panic because a new teacher comes in and completely changes everything they have been accustomed too. I have an entire career to do it my way but for now, I will keep the peace and utilze his grading policy (see below). The assessments incude a combination of journal entries, quizes, quarter projects, tests, papers and labs/activities.
CT's Grading Policy
My CT grading policy is as followed:
20% Homework and Classwork (Includes activities, labs, work sheets)
20% Quizes
50% Tests and Projects
10% Journal Entries
As far as homework, if he assigns a homework (Ex. Finish lab, read and outline chapter, read article/reponse) he will not collect the homework but rather go around to each table and mark it off out of 0-5 where 5 is the highest if the homework is complete and 3 if there are some things missing and 0 if it was not turned in. If someone does not have it at the beginning of class, then they get a zero. If the student was absent, they have the opportunity to pass it in the next class.
For Classwork, he typically does not collect these either but wil use the same method. This is one thing that I will do differently as I believe in collecting them to read over, offering feedback and using the student performance as indicators as to whether they understand or not. For the 2 in class activities, I have collected them already.
For Quizes, he typically will give a quiz when the unit is rather long and must have an assessment mid-way through or if there is an important concept that the students absolutey need to grasp before the exam or if he assigns a reading and needs to make sure they actually read it. Often times, he will count in class projects as "quiz grades".
The Tests are always at the end of a unit and typically consists of multiple choice and short answer. The will typicaly have students do one in class project per unit and at least 1 quarter project that will be a take-home assignment due at least 4 weeks after assignment.
The journal entries are graded for one time for every five entries. He will randomly pick one journal entry out of the five to grade and assess a score 1-5 where 5 is the best. I will read all journal assignments and give an overall grade as an alternative way of grading.
Looking at his grading policy, clearly this is an effort-based assessment policy as 1/2 of a students grade is based on participation and turning in assignments. This gives students the opportunity to succeed even if they do not do so hot on exams. However, If i was to change the weight of each assignments, I would probably make quizes weight more than homework assignments and have the class activities in a seperate catagories. It may look something like this:
10% Homework
10% Journal Entries
15% Quizes
15% Class Work/Labs/ Activities
50% Tests/Projects